12/21/2021

Amid Labor Shortage, Employers Turn to Older Employees

More companies are hiring older employees because of their reliability

At 73, showing up to work five days a week in the shipping department of AIS Inc.—an office pod manufacturing company he’s been with for nearly two decades—was starting to be a grind for Bob Adams. He kept having to request Fridays off for doctor’s appointments to help keep his nagging diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol issues in check.

So, last month, Adams asked for all Fridays off—a permanent four-day workweek.

At a time when employers nationwide are desperate to find and retain reliable workers, Adams not only got his wish, but his employer says he is welcome to ask for whatever work schedule fits his needs. "I'm 100 percent sure that if Bob said he could work only two days weekly, we'd do that because we know his value to the company," said Steve Savage, chief operating officer at AIS.

Please select this link to read the complete article from TIME.